Mary Barrett was considered one of the top female athletic
administrators in the nation, serving as UMass Boston's Associate
Director of Athletics for 17 years. Prior to her arrival at the
Harbor Campus, she began her career as an Assistant Professor in
the education department from 1967-74 at Boston State College. In
1974, she became the school's Assistant Athletic Director and later
Associate Athletic Director until finally assuming the duties of
Director of Athletics in 1978, prior to Boston State's merger with
UMass Boston in 1982. During her time in collegiate athletics she
became a trailblazer for female administrators, becoming the first
woman to be named to the Board of Directors of the National
Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the first woman to be named
President of the nation's largest athletic conference, the Eastern
College Athletic Conference from 1985-86 and the first female to
chair the ECAC East Hockey Tournament Committee. Her highest
achievement came in 1992 when she was elected to a five-year term
on the NCAA Executive Committee and was the sole representative
from Division III on the committee, which serves as the NCAA's
governing body. Prior to her ascension to that post, she served on
the NCAA Council from 1986-90 and also held positions on a number
of other NCAA committees. The Malden native was a member of various
ECAC committees during her time as well.